Chip flirting with NFL could have created a disaster for Oregon

This past Sunday afternoon I was playing Super Smash Bros with my roommates and friends on Nintendo 64.  I was in a battle with three of my roommates when one of them checked their phone and broke the news that Chip Kelly was in contract negotiations to become the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  At the exact time I heard these words, I was struck by a bomb in the video game and blown off the map. Ironic? I'd say so. For Duck fans, the start of the off-season couldn't get much worse; Heisman finalist, LaMichael James, and starting quarterback, Darron Thomas, declared for the NFL draft, and now the head coach who led the Ducks to three straight BCS bowl games in his first three years was leaving. Luckily, Chip's heart was still in college football, citing that he had "unfinished business" left at Oregon.

Let's take a second to ponder the aftermath that he would have left behind in Oregon.  Although it seems Oregon home football games sell out with ease, I can see where the ticket market would decline with Kelly leaving. Fans who have become accustomed to Oregon's fast paced tempo that often leaves teams completely exhausted by the fourth quarter begins with Kelly's coaching style and philosophies. You cannot expect to bring in a coach that will have the same type of offense that has made Oregon's so unique.  Just ask the teams in the NCAA who have tried this style offense but lack Oregon's sense of creativity within it.

Another area that would have harmed Oregon football with Kelly's departure is recruiting.  All of the recruits that were on-the-fence about coming to Oregon would have most likely taken their talents elsewhere.  The reports about Kelly cancelling recruiting trips to visit with five-star recruits considering Oregon were devastating in themselves.  Those recruits could then wind up in places that could harm Oregon in the future, such as the University of Washington or University of California Berkeley.

I was hoping this was just a bad dream and, fortunately, it was. I woke up to text messages Monday morning asserting that Chip was staying in Oregon.  The world isn't ending in Oregon after all, for another year at least.


http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2012/01/canzano_blog_chip_kelly_to_the.html

2014 Super Bowl Site Decision

The discussion of where 2014 Super Bowl will be played is in full swing.  The new Meadowlands Stadium in New York is a top choice among many..  The first words that come to mind when hearing this host city nominee: bad weather.  The lowest recorded temperature during a Super Bowl game is 39 degrees.  That was documented in Super Bowl VI; since then, the average temperature during Super Bowl games are 63 degrees.  The average high temperature in New York in early February is 32 degrees.  Many argue that NFL players should be able to play in all weather conditions and I couldn't agree with that statement more.  However, players that have played their whole NFL careers in closed complexes, such as domes, are at a complete disadvantage compared to teams that play regularly outdoors in cooler and sometimes wet conditions.

From a sports marketing standpoint, it doesn't get much better than the world's biggest annual sports event being played in the largest media market in the United States.  The Super Bowl is known for one thing to non-football fans: commercials.  Imagine how fast commercial spots will sell and the prices they will sell for. I think it is safe to say that viewers will see some of the most creative commercials ever if New York does get to host the Super Bowl. 

For corporate America, it doesn't get much better from a sponsorship perspective.  Corporate exposure can be maximized like never before because of the media platform this will be played on and the audience the game will draw in.  Throw in Madison Avenue and Wall Street that can make many forms of marketing payoff and the stage will be set for one of the most intriguing Super Bowls in history, no matter who is playing in the game.